Trench or sewer digger.



Z WWMwV G. F. RAUGH. TRENOH 0R SEWER BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20. 190B.

91 3,849. Patented Mar. 2, 1909,

a snnms-snnml I 3L1 E W K a. 2726x4444 THE NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON n c.

G. I. RAUCH.

FRENCH 0R SEWER BIGGER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1908.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

' s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w no ms NORGIS PETERS w. wnsnmamrv, n. c.

GI F. RAUCH.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

an v m m mm m HA D B SH F m HI T WA N E TH P A lwmeooeo GEORGE F. RAUCH, OF MEDFORD, WISCONSIN.

FRENCH OR SEWER BIGGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Application filed August 20, 1908. Serial No. 449,547.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. RAUoH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Medford, in the county of Taylor and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trench or Sewer Diggers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention contemplates the construction of an improved trench digger provided with means for cutting or digging the earth of a trench or sewer and of transporting the excavated earth from the point of excavation back to the trench or sewer.

One of the objects of this invention is the construction of a trench or sewer digger provided ,with means for excavating and transporting the spoil from the point of excavation to a distant point in the line of work so that pipes or other conduits may be laid in proper form, and when laid covered by the excavated material or spoil.

Another object of this invention is the construction of a trench or sewer digger provided with means for guiding the movement of the excavator cutter and for raising the tion; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a detailed transverse sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3, and, Fig. 8 is a detailed perspective view of the lower end of the cutter.

In the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 designate'front and rear axles and 3 designates wheels which may be of any desired form and which are mounted on the axles 1 and 2. The platform 4 extends from the front axle 1 to the rear axle 2, the rear axle being rigidly secured to the platform and the front axle being pivotally secured thereto. A tower 5 extends upwardly from the platform 4 and is properly braced thereon. A vertical guide member 6 is su ported on the tower 5 by means of crank s rafts 7 and 8, said shafts being secured to the tower by means of bearing stra s 9. The middle body portions of the cran shafts 7 and 8 are rovided with collars 7 and S and said mic dle body portions engage with hearing plates 10 and 11. Bearing plate 10 is adapted to permit of a vertical and rotary movement of the crank shaft 8 thereon while bearing plate 11 is adapted to permit only of a rotary movement of crank shaft 7. The crank shaft 8 is formed with a crank end 8 which is connected with a lever link 12 and said lever link 12 is connected with a clutch lever 13 which is pivotally secured on the platform 4 by means of pin 14. The lever 13 connects with the segmental rack 15 which is mounted on the platform 4 and extends upwardly therefrom. A winch 16 is mounted on the platform and forms connections with a suitable operating mechanism positioned thereon, and said mechanism may consist of gasolene or any motor engine (not shown). The tower 5 is provided with a pulley 17 which is connected thereto by a pulley shaft 17 at the uppermost portion of the tower 5. A sliding bar 18 is movable on the guide 6 and the lower end of said bar is provided with a weighted excavating cutter 19 which is formed with tapering cutting edges. The cutter 19 is adapted to be elevated by means of a rope 20 which is secured to the winch and movable on pulley 17. All of the operating mechanism comprising the tower, wedge cutter, winch and controlling lever so far described is positioned on the forward end of the platform 4.

On the rearward end of the platform a grooved track 21 is mounted and one of the ends of said track extends to point beyond the platform and is provided with a tail piece 22 which is adjustably and pivotally secured thereon by links 22 which enable said tail-piece to be elevated when .so desired. The grooved track 21 is positioned centrally the grooved tracks.

of the platform and connects with a swinging grooved track 23 which is adapted to be lowered into the trench and said swinging track 23 is provided with a scoop 24. The scoop 24 is preferably formed with an opening 25 and is provided with a pulley or sprocket wheel 26 which is positioned in line with the opening 25 and the extreme opposite end of the track 21 is also provided with a pulley or sprocket 27 which is journaled thereto. A conveyer chain 28 is movable on the grooved tracks 21 and 23 and over the pulleys 26 and 27 and is adapted to receive material from the scoop or scraper 24. The conveyer chain 28 and the grooved track 21 may be of any desirable length, that is, said conveyer chain may be arranged to carry or transport mate rial from the scoop or scraper 24 to a point considerably distant from said scraper or to a point adjacent to the end. of the machine.

' The swinging grooved track 23 is provided on its lowermost side with a shield 29 adapted to shield the conveyer chain from injurious contact with aperson engaged in laying sewer ipe, or other conduits, in the trench. The s1 ield 29 may extend beneath the grooved track 21 as may be desired. Mounted above the grooved track 21 and crossing same is a driving shaft 30 which is supported on bearing blocks 31, said bearing blocks being positioned on the rearward end of the "platform. The driving shaft 30 is provided with a pulley32, asprocket wheel 33 and a gear wheel 34, said gear wheel being positioned at the op osite end to the pulley wheel 32. The gear w ieel 34 meshes with the gear wheel 35 which is mounted upon a transversely disposed shaft 36 and said shaft extends through bearing blocks 31. The shaft 36 is provided with a sprocket wheel 37 and said sprocket wheel is engaged by a chain 38 forming connections with a sprocket wheel39 mounted on the rear axle. The sprocket 33 is connected by a chain 33 to a sprocket 41 mounted on one of the ends of the shaft of the sprocket wheel 27 secured to the end of grooved track 21. The pulley 32 is adapted to be driven by the engine positioned on the platform and when so driven will transmit power to the conveyer chain 28 and to the wheels 3. The conveyer chain 28 is adapted to revolubly en brace the grooved tracks 21 and 23 so that one part of said chain carrying the excavated material will be postioned above the grooved tracks and the other part returning to the scoop 24 will be positioned beneath The front axle 1 is steered by a steering mechanism comprising a shaft 42 which is provided with an operating wheel 43 and said shaft is connected to the ends of the front axle 1 by means of ropes 44 and 45 which are wound upon the shaft in opposite directions.

The steering shaft 42 is preferably positioned on top of the platform 4 as shown in the drawings so that the operating wheel 43 will be within convenient reach of the op erator who is positioned near the controlling levers of the excavator cutter and the driving engine.

-'Tl1e swinging track 21 carrying the scoop 24 is adapted to beraised by a Windlass 46. Positioned on the lower side of the platform 4 and secured thereto is a depending bar 47 to which is connected a pulley andrope 48 and 49. The pulley and rope 48 and 49 are useful in hoisting and positioning sections of pipe or conduits in the trench so that pipes or other conduits may be quickly laid.

'When it is desired to employ my improved sewer or trench digger, the same is driven over a trench line and the excavator cutter 19 reciprocated on the guide 6 by means of the hoisting rope or chain 20. The falling of the cutter upon the ground will loosen the same so that the material thus loosened will fall into the scoop 24 which is positioned close to the point where the cutter falls and the material, as it falls into the scoop 24, will be conveyed by the chain 28 over the grooved tracks 23 and 21 back into the trench past the point where the pipes or conduits have been laid.

The groovedtracks 21 and 23 extend in a line with the line of the trench and the distance between the point where the cutter 19 7 falls and the scoop 24 engages the ground and the point where the material is deposited from the conveying machine for filling purposes should be sufficiently great to permit of the completion of the work of laying the sewer pipes or other conduits. The material is first loosened by the excavating cutter 19, picked up by the scoop 24 and conveyed by the endless conveyer 28, the machine being driven or advanced over the trench to new ground so that the cutter 19 and the scoop 24 are always engaging fresh earth. The cutter 19 as well as the scoop 24 may be made of any width but they are preferably constructed of a width sufficient to allow the comfortable working of a number of men in the trench, thereby enabling the laying of sewer pipes or other conduits with less expenditure of energy and labor in excavation than has been heretofore possible.

In the operation of the improved trench digger the machine is first driven into work ing position and the reciprocating cutter operated so as to loosen the earth, the

said grooved track slide thereolf back on to the ground at a point distant to the point of excavation and corresponding to the travel of the endless conveyer. When an opening of sufficient length has been made in the ground, and other conditions satisfied, one or more workmen can descend into the opening or trench thus formed and by means of the rope as, operating over the pulley 4:8, pipes or other conduits are laid in proper position in the trench. As the machine proceeds new ground will be engaged by the reciprocating cutter and the spoil excavated will be carried by the endless conveyer 28 over the grooved tracks 21 and 23, and back into the trench so as to completely cover the pipes or con duits laid therein. When it is desired to lower the grooved track ..3 into a receiving position same is accomplished by means of the Windlass 46 and the rope 46 which mechanism is also adapted to elevate said grooved track from such a position to an inactive position.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A sewer digger comprising a platform, axles secured to the platform, wheels secured to the axles, driving mechanism mounted on the platform, a tower extending above the platform, a reciprocating excavating cutter slidable on the tower, means for operating the cutter a grooved track longitudinally disposed on the platform and an endless chain movable over the grooved track arranged to receive material loosened by the cutter and transport the same to a point distant from the cutter and deposit the same in a line with the operation of said cutter.

2. A sewer digger comprising a platform, axles secured to the platform, wheels secured to the axles, driving mechanism mounted on the platform, a tower extended above the platform, a guide secured on the tower, an excavating cutter secured slidably on the tower, means for operating the excavating cutter, a grooved track extending longitudinally of the platform, and an endless conveyer chain movable in the grooved track arranged to receive material loosened by the excavating cutter.

3. A sewer digger comprising a platform, axles mounted on the platform, wheels mounted on the axles, a tower extending above the platform, means for loosening earth operated from the tower the fixed grooved track extending longitudinally on the platform, a swinging grooved track connected to the fixed grooved track and means for receiving the earth excavated and of transporting the same to a point distant from the excavating point and in line therewith said means being movable on the grooved tracks.

4. A sewer digger comprising a platform, axles mounted on the platform, wheels mounted on the axles, a tower extending above the platform, an excavating cutter slidable on the tower, means for operating the excavating cutter, a grooved track mounted on the platform, a swinging grooved track connecting with the first mentioned grooved track mounted on the platform, a conveyer chain movable on the grooved track, and means for operating the conveyer chain.

5. A sewer digger comprising a platform, axles mounted upon the platform, wheels mounted on the axles, means for driving the wheels, a tower extending above the platform and mounted thereon, a guide secured to the tower, an excavating cutter slidable on the guide, means for swinging the guide and the cutter out of engagement with the ground, grooved tracks mounted on the plat form, an endless conveyor movable on the grooved tracks, means for operating the endless oonveyer, a scoop for the grooved tracks, and means for raising and lowering the scoop into and out of engagement with the ground.100

6. A sewer digger comprising a platform, axles mounted on the latform, wheels mounted on the axle, driving mechanism mounted on the platform, a tower mounted on the platform and extending upwardly therefrom, a guide mounted in the tower, an excavating cutter slidable on the guide, means for operating the excavating cutter, means for swinging the guide into and out of position with the ground, a grooved track mounted on the platform and extending rearwardly thereof, a second grooved track hinged to the first mentioned rooved track, a scoop for the second grooved track, a conveyer chain movable on the grooved track and arranged to receive material from the scoop, means for swinging the second grooved track into and out of engagement with the ground, a shield secured on the lower side of the swinging grooved track, means for operating the conveyer chain, steering mechanism and means for hoisting sewer pipe secured on the lowermost side of the platform.

7. A sewer digger arranged to occupy a position over a trench and longitudinally therewith, an excavating cutter adapted to descend into the trench and loosen earth therein, a swinging grooved track adapted to In testimony whereof I have herennto set recelve the material loosened by the excavatmy hand 1n presence of two subscribing wit- 111 cutter a second rooved track connected nesses.

with the first mentioned grooved track, and GEORGE F. RAUCH. 5 means for transporting material excavated Witnesses:

by the cutter and received by the scoop from E. H. Scnrorrr,

the point of excavation back into the trench. N. A URQUHART 

